Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards have announced the signing of three players for the upcoming 2018 campaign. Pitchers Turner French (St. John’s University) and Jonah Smith (Creighton University), and infielder Chris Givin (Xavier University) will be featured on the Mallards roster following their spring seasons with their respective schools.
Givin, a junior shortstop from Castle Rock, Colorado, is a polished player who has made noise in the Big East. Givin started 43 games for the Musketeers in 2017 and posted a .302 clip while primarily hitting leadoff. Givin capped the season with an impressive Big East Tournament performance when he tallied a pair of doubles and six runs scored in three games. Overall, Givin’s impressive sophomore season in Cincinnati earned him All-Big East Second Team honors. Just last month, Givin was named to the 2018 Preseason All-Big East team as he is projected to be an important part of the Xavier lineup again this spring.
French, a lengthy southpaw from Wallingford, Connecticut, boasts plenty of collegiate pitching experience. Through two seasons at St. John’s, French has tallied 50 appearances and has tossed 56.1 innings. Standing at six feet and five inches, he has dominated opposing hitters, allowing them to hit just .227 with nine extra base hits. Meanwhile, French has displayed consistency during his first two collegiate seasons as he has walked just 26 batters while sitting down 41 on strikes. With the Mallards this summer, French has an opportunity to spearhead a strong pitching staff.
Smith, a sophomore righty from Austin, Texas, will also be headed to the Duck Pond this summer. After spending his freshman season at Abilene Christian University, Smith joins the Creighton Bluejays for 2018. During his freshman campaign at ACU Smith made 20 appearances while tossing 36.1 innings and posting a 3.76 ERA. Smith was a standout during his high school career as he compiled a 12-0 record on the mound and posted a 0.89 ERA.
Madison Mallards group and season ticket packages are now on sale. If interested in bringing a group out or purchasing a ticket package please call the ticket office at 608-246-4277 and a group representative will be available to help.
Single-game tickets for all Mallards home games will go on sale Saturday, April 28th.
###
The Madison Mallards are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 185 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.mallardsbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Mallards as your favorite team.
